James Van Der Beek has insisted that his new comedy Don't Trust the B**** in Apt 23 will move away from Dawson's Creek jokes.

The pilot episode of the ABC sitcom featured several gags about the WB drama, with Van Der Beek using his teen idol status to seduce women.

"When we were working on the pilot, we were very clear about how we're going to move away from specific Dawson jokes," he told The Hollywood Reporter. "You can only make so many of those before they get old."

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Van Der Beek added that future episodes will "flesh out" his character - a fictionalised version of the star himself.

"He became this bizarre human being," said the actor. "We might go to [Dawson's Creek] in passing for a joke here or there throughout the season, but very seldom do we do that. It's more about celebrity culture."

Don't Trust the B**** in Apt 23 airs on Wednesdays at 9.30/8.30c on ABC. In the UK, E4 has picked up the rights to air the series.